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Nanaimo, Parksville and Area

victor mema
City of Nanaimo loses appeal over $640K payment to fired CFO
NANAIMO - The City of Nanaimo will remain responsible for paying damages to a fired former chief financial officer.The B.C. Court of Appeal, on Wednesday, May 13, found a 2023 decision by the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal to be reasonable and grounded in evidence in relation to the dismissal of Victor Mema by the CIty in ...
May 15, 2026
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water and power worries
'We can't drink data:' Green leader pushes for pause on data centres during Nanaimo visit
NANAIMO - A pending data centre on East Wellington Rd. drew the ire of the BC Green Party leader. Emily Lowan was at Nanaimo's Maffeo Sutton Park on Thursday, May 14, where she called for a moratorium on the building of AI data centres until the risks to the environment, human health, and privacy are better understood ...
May 14, 2026
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brush fires
Man injured in Nanaimo encampment fire, Long Lake bluff also torched
NANAIMO - A quiet Nanaimo neighbourhood was illuminated with emergency lights in response to a notable overnight encampment fire. The fire was called in on Thursday, May 14, at 1:25 a.m. in the bush off the end of Rosstown Rd., just east of the Nanaimo Parkway. Nanaimo Fire Rescue (NFR) assistant chief John MacKenzie s...
May 14, 2026
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quick response
UPDATE: New wildfire near Nanaimo Lakes Rd. being held
NANAIMO - Coastal Fire Centre crews spent the night actioning a new wildfire start west of the city, with a quick response leading to a swift resolution.Reported late Wednesday, May 13, the fire burning just north of Nanaimo Lakes Rd., near the intersection with South Forks Rd., is now classified as being held at aroun...
May 14, 2026
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choppy waters
BC Ferries braces for challenging peak season
NANAIMO - With the busy summer travel season fast-approaching, BC Ferries warns its aging system offers limited flexibility and resiliency. The company provided a wide-ranging pre-summer operational update on Wednesday, May 13 prior to what's expected to be a record peak season for its fleet. In light of pending FIFA W...
May 14, 2026
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toxic drugs
Seven more Nanaimo deaths in March from toxic street drugs
NANAIMO - Seven more people died locally due to the unregulated drug supply in March, part of 135 suspected drug deaths across British Columbia. Seven people also died in February in Nanaimo, bringing the total number of deaths due to toxic street drugs to 23 so far this year, according to the latest report from the BC...
May 13, 2026
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British Columbia

Crown urges new trial in B.C. sex assault case, tossed over delays in 2025
VANCOUVER - The B.C. Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in a sexual assault case that was tossed out last year over delays, with Crown counsel and defence lawyers pointing fingers about who was responsible for derailing the case. A provincial court...
6h ago
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Eby says Ottawa is rewarding Alberta's 'bad behaviour' with pipeline agreement
VICTORIA - British Columbia Premier David Eby says the federal government is rewarding Alberta for "bad behaviour" by agreeing to push for a new bitumen pipeline to the West Coast. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed an...
7h ago
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Canadian wineries say scrapping provincial trade barriers would add billions to GDP
HALIFAX - Canada's wine sector is worth more than $10 billion a year and the industry says a few tweaks - like scrapping domestic trade barriers - could add billions of dollars more to the national economy. A new report from Deloitte, commissioned by ...
10h ago
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Man accused of kidnapping B.C. girl, 7, was already wanted for armed assault
CHILLIWACK - The man accused in the attempted abduction of a seven-year-old girl at a school in Chilliwack, B.C., this week was already wanted for an alleged armed assault in Vancouver last month, and he has now been charged with both offences. Chilliw...
10h ago
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'It's insane': Summer gas prices could hit record highs, upending budgets and travel
MONTREAL - Since gas prices started climbing in March, Sarah Bradley has found herself bargain hunting across multiple grocery stores in Montreal. "Before, I'm a one-stop shop person," she said. "Now I think twice. I'm like, OK, do I need that from IGA...
12h ago
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Black bear found wandering urban Vancouver is tranquilized and released
VANCOUVER - Police in Vancouver say a black bear was tranquilized, "slept it off, and was released without charges" after it was seen wandering around the city at night. They say in a post to social media that officers responded to reports about the b...
12h ago
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Canada

Eby says Ottawa is rewarding Alberta's 'bad behaviour' with pipeline agreement
VICTORIA - British Columbia Premier David Eby says the federal government is rewarding Alberta for "bad behaviour" by agreeing to push for a new bitumen pipeline to the West Coast. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed an...
7h ago
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Convicted sex abuser, former SNC Lavalin CEO both stripped of Order of Canada
OTTAWA - A convicted sex offender and a former engineering executive who was found guilty of corruption have been stripped of their appointments to the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honour. Peter Dalglish, a humanitarian worker origin...
7h ago
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Reaction to the Alberta-Ottawa agreement on carbon pricing, pipeline plans
CALGARY - Shovels could hit the ground on a new West Coast oilsands pipeline as early as September 2027, the federal and Alberta governments said Friday, after they announced a plan to gradually increase the province's effective industrial carbon price...
9h ago
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Quebec reimbursing farmers for fuel tax, says measure will help competitiveness
DRUMMONDVILLE - Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette has responded to pressure from the agriculture sector, promising to reimburse millions of dollars to farmers for fuel taxes linked to the province's carbon market. Starting in July, more than 15,000 fa...
9h ago
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Senior and two officers in hospital after driver tears through Vancouver's West End
VANCOUVER - A man who drove along a sidewalk, hitting trees, vehicles and a senior on a scooter is in custody after two Vancouver police officers used their vehicle to stop the driver. The senior on the scooter was critically injured, while the two of...
9h ago
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Man accused of kidnapping B.C. girl, 7, was already wanted for armed assault
CHILLIWACK - The man accused in the attempted abduction of a seven-year-old girl at a school in Chilliwack, B.C., this week was already wanted for an alleged armed assault in Vancouver last month, and he has now been charged with both offences. Chilliw...
10h ago
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